Send Me An Angel
by Galadriadhar
Summary: What happens when the angel you asked for... isn't quite an angel?


My first exposure to "Send Me An Angel" was the version by Real Life. My second exposure was to the version by The Megas, a _Mega Man_ tribute band. I've become a big fan of 80s music, and "Send Me An Angel" is almost a definitive song of that era.

Working with a random generator, I ended up with a great duo. I will not be telling you this early what it is, but it fits very well, I feel. It fits even better once an idea came to mind!

I hope what comes out is a piece of work comparable to "Beyond Her Garden" or "Home."

SEND ME AN ANGEL

In the depths of the Apple Woods, an Ursaring crashed through the undergrowth. He was panting heavily, scratches on his shoulders and back telling a painful tale. Howls of rage sounded behind him, lending speed to his fleeing paws.

The Ursaring carried a medium sized stone in his left paw, using his right paw to rip the bushes and vines away. He hadn't had time to put it in a pack hanging from his shoulder. This stone was the cause of all the howling.

_"I need you to retrieve an item for me," a small Snorunt said. He was addressing the Ursaring brothers. _

_ "Why?" the oldest asked. "Why can you not retrieve it?"_

_ The Snorunt grimaced. "A pack of Houndoom stole it from me. They fled into Apple Woods. Team Riojazz is out, and no one else will take this mission. Will you?"_

_ The oldest Ursaring looked at the younger, who shrugged. "What is the item?"_

_ "A wish stone. A very old, very reliable wish stone." The Snorunt looked from the older Ursaring to the younger. "I need the stone back soon. If it doesn't come back soon, it will lose all power."_

_ The older Ursaring shook his head. "I'm sorry, but we can't do it. I wish you luck, though."_

_ Sadness flooded the Snorunt's face. The younger Ursaring could feel his heart softening. "Aru, why can't we? Look at him." The younger Ursaring gestured to the Snorunt. "If you can't, then I will."_

_ "Ring, it's too dangerous," Aru said. "This mission is not one that we can handle. You should not go." Aru paused. "But… I will not stop you from going."_

_ Ring smiled. "I'll be careful, Aru."_

_ "You had better be careful, Ring," Aru muttered, turning away._

Ring really wished he had listened to his older brother. Now he had a pack of angry Houndoom on his tail, his back and shoulders were scored with scratches, and the scratches were itching like mad. He had been running for a long time, but the Houndoom didn't seem to be even close to giving up.

Night had fallen by the time the Houndoom caught up with Ring. Three cut in front of him and one bit at his heels, causing him to trip over a tree root. He landed hard on the wish stone, but the stone didn't break. Ring quickly turned over onto his back and pushed himself to his paws. As he did so, a single star appeared through the foliage of Apple Woods.

Ring stood, crouched slightly. "Well, you finally caught me. Pretty impressive, for mangy curs."

The lead Houndoom, a male with a broken horn, snarled. "Make your words sweet, fool, lest you find yourself needing to eat them."

"I didn't realize you were even literate," Ring taunted. He glanced up at the sky, just to see the star once more. Some unknown impulse caused him to tighten his grip on the wish stone. _Send me an angel, please._

Ring vaguely realized he had wished on that star, but he had other things to think about. He couldn't spend his time pondering his suddenly childish behavior. The lead Houndoom was laughing.

"I have read the works of Sandspeare, fool. I have studied Machokiavelli and others. I know my words, and you do not. Right now, all I need are the words of Julius Pinsir: 'I came, I saw, I conquered.' Prepare to fall, fool." The Houndoom pack closed in on Ring.

"When I tell you, attack…" Ring started at the voice that sounded near his ear.

"What?"

"Now!" the voice yelled. Ring charged toward the lead Houndoom, striking it with a solid fist. The Houndoom fell to the ground, stunned. Ring placed a well-aimed kick in the jaw of a snarling male, and as he lunged toward the male, an eerie song began to play.

"Cover your ears…" the voice whispered, and the song continued to play. Ring quickly covered his ears with his paws. One by one, the Houndoom dropped to the forest floor, unconscious.

When the final Houndoom fell, Ring instinctively knew that the song had finished. He uncovered his ears and looked around. "They all fainted?"

"Hmm," the voice snorted. "They did. You did… all right. If you had been more active, I could have sung sooner. But it will do." A shimmer appeared in the air before Ring's eyes, and a Mismagius slowly faded into view.

"You… you're a ghost…" Ring said, trailing off when the Mismagius glared at him.

"Of course I am, buffoon. You asked, I came. It's that simple. Who else could have come this quickly? Santa Claus?" Seeing Ring's confused look, the Mismagius sighed. "Fine, never mind. It's a human thing."

"I asked for you?"

"Ha! You thought, and I quote, 'Send me an angel, please.' Giratina, filling your wish, sent me because it tickled his fancy." The Mismagius grimaced. "Never ask that again."

"Oh… really? You came because of my wish? What's your name?" Ring asked, eagerly awaiting the answer.

The Mismagius glowered at him. "You just had to ask, didn't you? Angie, short for Angel. Don't laugh, or I will find a way to bring those Houndoom back."

Ring lowered his gaze. Something fluttered in his stomach. He realized he hadn't eaten in a long time. "Angel… That's a pretty name. Will you be leaving right now, or would you like to eat something?"

Angie frowned. Ring didn't notice a slight red tint on her face. "…All right. I hope, though, that you're some sort of good cook."

"Just wait and see," Ring said, winking. He turned just as Angie turned slightly red again.

* * *

After eating half of the oran salad Ring had made, Angie found herself lying on her back in the grass. Ring and Angie had left Apple Woods before eating, just in case the Houndoom pack came to. She let out a very unladylike belch.

Ring raised an eyebrow. "No 'excuse me?'"

Angie rose shakily into the air. "None."

Ring shrugged and leaned against a rock. "So… you're my angel? You're not very angelic."

A glare made Ring regret his words. "It's not my fault my name is Angel, all right?" Angie was doing her best not to yell, but to be honest, self-control wasn't one of her strong suits. "Giratina thought it would be ironic to call a horror like me 'Angel.' Then you wished for an angel, and he sent me. I'm bound to serve him until I find a purpose. End of story. No more debate." Angie turned her back on Ring.

Dropping his pack, Ring walked to Angie. "I'm sorry. I am very grateful for your intervention. I didn't mean to upset you." He put a paw on her shoulder.

Angie shook Ring's paw off. "I don't need your sympathy, okay? I'm just fine. Leave me alone, all right?" Angie waited for a moment before glancing over her shoulder. She saw Ring picking up his pack and beginning to walk away. Something twinged inside her.

"Hey… Hold on." Angie floated after Ring. Ring stopped.

"What?" Ring's voice was cold. "I thought you didn't need anything."

Angie swallowed her temper. It was difficult, though. "Well, I don't. But… there might be more gruesome dogs waiting between here and Treasure Town." Angie floated around Ring and stopped in front of him. "Let another gruesome nightmare walk with you."

Ring rolled his eyes, but inwardly was smiling. "Oh, all right. Come along." _You're no nightmare,_ he thought as the two made their way to Treasure Town.

* * *

As Angie and Ring entered Treasure Town, the sun began to make its way above the horizon. No one was awake except the Snorunt. Angie faded out of sight as the Snorunt raced over to Ring.

"Oh! You found it!" the Snorunt exclaimed. He looked like he was going to jump out of his skin. "Was it hard?"

Ring shook his head. He had thought about mentioning an angel, but decided that it would bring unwanted questions. "No trouble at all. The Houndoom graciously handed it over."

"Oh, marvelous! There's hope for them yet!" The Snorunt dug into a small satchel and pulled out a couple of coins. "Two thousand Poke for you. Thank you so much!"

Accepting the coins, Ring reached into his pack and pulled out the wish stone. He handed it to the Snorunt, nodded at him, and walked off.

"Wait! Did you use this?" the Snorunt called after Ring. Ring turned.

"On accident. Why?"

The Snorunt smiled. "I could tell a wish had been made. Was it worthwhile?"

"Oh yes."

"Good. Have a good day, my friend!" The Snorunt marched off out of Treasure Town.

"Good riddance," Angie's voice said from above Ring's shoulder. "He had some weird aura. It was creeping me out. I'll have to tell Giratina about him." Ring heard Angie sigh.

"His aura?"

Angie faded into sight. She gestured at the Snorunt. "Have you ever met a Snorunt in these parts, Ring? That in and of itself warrants investigation. But wish stones… wish stones don't exist. I ought to know. I only ever answer wishes that are made on the stars."

Ring looked at Angie, startled. "Then… the wish stone was fake?"

Angie nodded gravely. "Unfortunately. I wonder…" She began to fade again. "I have to consult Giratina. Don't get into too much trouble." Ring didn't have time to ask about her sudden change in attitude before she completely disappeared.

* * *

"Aru! I'm back!" Ring called as he entered their home. Carved out of a spacious tree trunk, it was small but cozy. Aru exited the bedroom.

"Ring! You made it!" Aru yelled, running and picking his brother up in a hug. "I was worried sick about you." Aru stopped suddenly, feeling the scratches on Ring's shoulder. "You got hurt."

Ring shrugged as best as he could. "Not too badly, Aru. Give it some time and I'll be right as rain."

Aru set Ring down and looked him in the eye. "Was it the Houndoom?" he asked sternly.

No other Pokemon could make Ring feel like a Teddiursa again. "Yes…" he muttered.

"Ring… I told you to be careful."

Ring looked up indignantly. "I was!" he protested. "The Houndoom had put branches around their campsite. As I was leaving I found one." He grimaced. "They were awake in a moment, and the closest one was able to get its claws in me. I knocked it out, but had to run."

"I knew you shouldn't have gone!" Aru bellowed. "Why can't you listen?"

Pursing his lips, Ring tried not to cry. "Aru, I'm not a Teddiursa anymore. Besides, I had help. An angel came and saved me."

Aru paced the floor. "You still shouldn't have gone… But…" Aru sighed. "I need to let off some steam. Want to come with me to the Dojo?"

Ring's answer shocked Aru. "No thanks. I need to wait for someone."

"But… we always go…" Aru, to his credit, quickly got over his shock. "Heh. You aren't a Teddiursa anymore, are you? All right. Be safe."

"I will. Don't worry, Aru." Ring winced as pain shot through his scratches. Aru didn't notice. "Go knock some heads."

* * *

Aru hadn't been gone long when Angie appeared. "Hey, you."

Ring glanced at Angie before continuing to chop mago berries. "I wondered when I'd hear your angry tones again. What did you find out?"

Angie rolled her eyes. _He's pretty good at dishing it out, though_, she thought, smirking. "That Snorunt is a fool. Giratina says he was swindled by some Houndoom. He bought the stone for thirty thousand Poke."

Ring stopped chopping. "Then… why was his aura so strange?"

"Giratina said that the Snorunt was also a swindler himself. He set up the whole thing. He paid the Houndoom pack, a rival pack of the one that sold him the stone, to 'steal' the stone. The idea was that the Houndoom pack would be able to sell it on the black market auction circuit for almost three times as much as the Snorunt bought it for. Then they would split the money. The Snorunt panicked, though, and sought help." Angie shrugged. "Giratina's going to send someone to deal with him."

The mago berry Ring had in his paw quickly became pulp. He winced again. Angie noticed. "What's up with you? Second thoughts on pulping that mago?"

She wasn't ready for Ring's reaction. "NO! I'm injured, if you didn't notice! Oh, wait, of course you didn't! You assumed it was some awful birthmark, didn't you? I know, I know. Not only that, I'm not the brightest star in the sky! I proved that by wishing for an angel! I got a nightmare!"

Angie didn't try to hold back her anger. "How dare you! I do not assume, no matter what I may say. This may shock you, but I know what it's like to be the victim of assumptions. You don't know how many Pokemon have rejected my help, saying that I'm no angel! I thought you were a decent Ursaring, but I guess I was wrong. I may be a ghost, I may be made of the stuff of nightmares, but that doesn't mean that you get to insult me!" Quickly disappearing, Angie shot one final remark. "I thought I loved you."

The pain shooting through Ring's back brought tears to his eyes. But more than that was Angie's rebuke.

_Oh, I'm such a fool…_

* * *

Ring lay on his bed, moaning. The pain was shooting up and down his back, feeling like the very flames of the sun. His mind was wracked with the agony of knowing he had shunned Angie.

He fell into a fitful sleep. _Darkness. Apple Woods. Something surrounded by Houndoom and other, darker creatures. "Help!"_

Leaping to his feet, Ring raced out of the tree and past Aru. "Be back soon, Ring! Dinner's in half an hour!"

* * *

Ring's vision was blurred with pain. Still, he resolutely trudged on through Apple Woods. The dream was burned into his head, and he knew it right away when he saw it.

Trees loomed overhead, casting dark shadows on the ground. Houndoom circled a limp form on the ground, cackling and howling in victory. Eyes shone from the depths of the surrounding forest, waiting for their chance to feed on the scraps. The lead Houndoom, one with a broken horn, laughed loudly.

"You thought you could escape the call of fate, nightmare?" The Houndoom snarled, bringing its face close to the form. "We are the nightmares, the dealers of fate. Doom knocks, and we are the bringers."

Ring's vision blurred even more fiercely before clearing momentarily. He saw the Houndoom clearly, and in that moment the limp figure rose up slightly and yelled.

"Ring, help!" It was Angie.

Vision blurred and cleared and then reddened. Ring saw nothing except those who were trying to hurt Angel. Ignoring the pain in his back, Ring rushed towards the lead Houndoom, bellowing a primal, wordless cry.

Fist connected with jaw, foot connected with head, head connected with torso, and soon the Houndoom were sprawled across the forest floor like fallen leaves. Ring gripped his head as pain pounded through it. Agony wasn't something that Ring had experienced, but he dimly resolved to never feel it again. Of course, that didn't help in the moment.

The pain overcame Ring's remaining strength and he crashed to the forest floor, unconscious.

Angie slowly rose, shaking as she did so. She felt as though she was going to faint, but she needed to make sure Ring was okay. Floating over to Ring's unconscious form took a long time, but Angie finally managed to make it.

"Ring?" She waited for a moment. "Ring!" There was still no answer, and Angie began to panic. "RING!" she shouted.

Ring moaned quietly and turned slightly. Angie sighed in relief. "I'll be back," she said before disappearing.

* * *

Ring heard a voice say something, but he wasn't sure what it said. He thought he was dreaming, but he wasn't sure.

"_I'll not come back." Was that Angie? Wait! Risking life and limb didn't keep her here? Well, then._

"_Hahahaha…" Dark figures closed in. Eyes flared with hatred and malice. "Don't forget: I came, I saw, I conquered. What goes around comes around, foolish Ursaring." _

"_My name… is Ring." _

"_Ring or Fool, it doesn't matter to me. It stands that I am the most powerful, bear. The powerful inherit the forest. The weak inherit nothing."_

"_Make it… fast."_

"_Tch. Ever the smart aleck. Watch your tongue. But, of course, you wouldn't know anything about that."_

"_You might want… to watch yours."_

"_Me? I have nothing to watch. Your 'friend' has abandoned you. The one you called an angel is nothing more than a quean, an ill-tempered woman. At the first sign of trouble, she deserted you. Is that what angels do? I'd rather go without if that's the case."_

"_She would never… abandon me."_

"_How would you know that? You met her last night. You insulted her and she left. She left you then, she's left you now."_

"_I was… wrong. I reacted too strongly. I'm sorry, Angel…"_

"_She's not here, bear. I am. I am here, Ring. She'll never forgive you. She'll forgive you. I forgive you."_

"_What? But you're not Angel…"_

"_You're right. I'm your best nightmare. I'm here, Ring."_

"Huh? Ugh!" Ring grimaced and choked as something dribbled down his throat.

"Lie still, will you? Sheesh, you big baby. It's just oran juice," scolding tones said. Ring thought, though, that there was worry in the voice.

"Angel?"

"Who else? The mayor of Cambrilla?"

Ring opened his eyes. All he could see was a deep purple blur. "I don't even know what Cambrilla is…"

He thought he saw the blur shake its head. "Of course you don't. You lead far too sheltered of a life, Ring." Ring blinked, and the blur came into focus. Angie floated over him, mouth frowning but eyes sparkling with happiness and fading worry.

Ring moaned. He put a paw to his head. "I feel like Groudon punched me in the face…"

Angie chuckled and smiled. "Well, the damage is probably equivalent. Maybe you can play it up, make yourself more desirable to females."

Ring cocked his head. "Why would I want that?"

Angie pursed her lips. "Well… don't you want to find a wife? A nice girl? I'm sure there are plenty of nice Ursaring girls."

Pushing himself up, Ring looked at Angie quizzically. "Why would I want that? I've already found her."

Angie turned away so that Ring wouldn't see the tears forming in her eyes. "Is she nice?"

Ring smiled. "She's an angel. Sure, we have our disagreements, but I'm sure that can get worked out."

Nodding, Angie sniffed. "Well… I wish you the best, Ring. If you ever need help… wish on that star again."

Angie began to fade away, but Ring reached out and grabbed a tassel of her cloak. "Wait! I thought... Don't you know who I'm talking about?"

"How would I!" Angie shouted, turning on Ring. Tears fell silently from her eyes. "I've only known you since last night… I don't know any girls you'd love."

Ring's eyes widened. "Yes you do!" he insisted. "You!"

Angie fell out of the air into Ring's arms. "…Me?"

Chuckling, Ring hugged Angie. "Yup. You're my angel, after all." Angie started crying again and returned the hug.

"You're my… prince? Naw," Angie said, shaking her head. "That's too cliché. How about…"

"Gargoyle?" a deep voice said from the shadows.

"No, Giratina. That doesn't- hang on!" Angie exclaimed, pulling away from Ring. "What are you doing here?"

"I had to check on you. It seems like everything is under control, though." Giratina materialized in front of the shocked pair. A wide grin spread across his face.

"Um, uh, that is..." Ring stammered. "Do I bow?" he whispered to Angie.

"That will not be necessary, Ring," Giratina said, chuckling.

Angie floated over to Giratina and hung her head. "I'm sorry, sir… I'll come back now."

"No." Angie's head snapped up.

"What?" Angie and Ring asked at the same time.

"Angel, I see that you have found a purpose. I release you from your service. Though," Giratina said, sighing dramatically, "I don't know where I'll find an angel that can come close to replacing you."

Angie rushed to Giratina and hugged his front left leg. "Thank you, sir! Thank you so much!"

Giratina leaned down and touched Angie on the head. "You are welcome, Angie." Giratina winked. Angie smiled broadly. "Take care of your… dream. I think that will work."

Angie lowered her head in thought, and Giratina disappeared.

"I like that," she murmured. "Where were we? Oh, yes!" Angie raced back over to Ring and hugged him again. "You're my dream, Ring."

Ring laughed, and Angie joined in. "You're so eloquent, Angel."

Angie playfully pushed Ring. "You better stop calling me 'Angel,' or I may get used to it."

Without a twinge of pain, Ring lifted himself to his feet and smiled. "Well, get used to it."

Angie took Ring's paw. "What's next, dream?"

Ring frowned momentarily, then grinned. "Next we have to figure out how to tell my brother."

The setting sun shone brilliantly on the two, laughter echoing through Apple Woods and into the sky, promising happy dreams, angelic times, and an accepting brother for all time.


End file.
